St. Anthony Visiting St. Paul the Hermit in the Desert (detail) 1516

This detail from Matthias Grünewald's altarpiece "St. Anthony Visiting St. Paul the Hermit in the Desert" (1516) depicts St. Paul the Hermit, a fourth-century Christian ascetic who lived in the Egyptian desert, clad in woven palm leaves. Grünewald was a German painter renowned for his intensely emotional and expressive style, evident in the depiction of St. Paul's gaunt and emaciated form. The painting's stark realism and haunting subject matter highlight the harshness of St. Paul's self-imposed isolation and the spiritual power of his devotion. This detail from the larger altarpiece can be found at the Musée Unterlinden in Colmar, France.